Devices and methods for selective hair removal have long existed in the fields of cosmetology and medicine. Wax based preparations are widely used to remove body and facial hair. Cold wax techniques have limited effectiveness, and hot wax preparations are typically painful to apply and can be damaging to the skin. Chemical depilatories can also be damaging to human skin tissue. Epilators such as tweezers are time consuming, while powered epilators are cumbersome and lack precision.
Threading is a method of hair removal that originates from an ancient practice of using thread to remove hair. Two lengths of threads are first manually twisted and placed along a row of unwanted hair. By manipulating the thread at four points, unwanted hair is grasped and pulled from the follicle. As compared to wax or chemical depilatories, threading is gentler on the skin and provides more precise hair removal. It is also much more effective for eyebrow shaping than any other method of facial hair removal including other epilation methods such as tweezing and waxing.
There have been various attempts to provide threading devices for a user to remove unwanted hair. Devices typically employ mutual twisting of two threads, or winding a thread portion around a fixed thread portion. Such devices are not optimal because they are large and unwieldy which obstructs a user when removing hair from difficult to reach areas, such as under the eyebrows. When one thread portion is wound around the fixed thread portion, the fixed thread portion is pulled away from its initial position which further compromises precise hair removal.
Therefore, it can be appreciated that there exists a need for a device that allows a user to more precisely remove unwanted hair from difficult to reach areas.